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The views expressed in these posts are those of the authors and are current only through the date stated. These views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Scott Smith Financial (SSF) disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice and, because investment decisions are based on many factors, may not be relied upon as a reccomendation on behalf of SSF. The discussion herein is general in nature and is provided for informational purposes only. There is no guarantee as to its accuracy or completeness.

THE WEEK ON WALL STREET Stocks ended a good week on a high note, as hints of progress in U.S.-China trade talks encouraged investors. When the closing bell rang Friday, the S&P 500 settled at 2,775.60, after rising 2.50% in five days....

THE WEEK ON WALL STREET Major U.S. stock benchmarks eked out slight gains last week, with corporate profit reports and news about U.S.-China trade negotiations vying for investor attention over five trading sessions. The big three...

FEBRUARY BEGINS WITH SOME EXCELLENT ECONOMIC DATA Payrolls swelled with 304,000 net new jobs last month, according to the Department of Labor’s February employment report. (A Bloomberg survey of economists had projected a gain of...

HOME SALES QUICKLY FALTER Seldom do existing home sales fall 6.4% in a month, but that was what happened in December. National Association of Realtors economist Laurence Yun called the drop a reflection of “consumer search...

Many of my clients have asked me in recent months to describe to them what Fiduciary Advice is. They may have read that the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a substantial overhaul in the regulation of financial advice given on retirement

News and financial commentary can influence people’s view of investing. Without a strong investment philosophy to guide them, they also may follow the advice of friends, neighbors, or family, especially if the

The idea behind investing is to buy low and sell high. Yet, following an emotional investment cycle sparked by reactive decisions may bring the opposite effect: buying at higher prices and selling at lower prices.

Many people concentrate their investment in their home stock market. They choose only US stocks and mutual funds and consider their portfolio diversified. In some cases, they only hold a small group of securities.Yet, from a global perspect

With each trade, buyers and sellers bring new information to the market, which helps set prices. No one knows what the next bit of new information will be. The future is uncertain, but prices will adjust accordingly.This doesn’t mean

Even with a globally diversified portfolio, market movements can tempt investors to switch asset classes based on predictions of future performance. But as shown in this table, there is little predictability in asset class performance from

5. Consider the Drivers of ReturnsRather than viewing the market universe in terms of individual stocks and bonds, investors should define the market along the dimensions of expected returns to identify broader areas or groups that have sim

4. Let Markets Work for YouMost people look to the financial markets as their main investment avenue—and the good news is that the capital markets have rewarded long-term investors. The markets represent capitalism at work in th

3. Resist Chasing Past PerformanceMany fund managers believe they can identify “mispriced” securities and convert that knowledge into higher returns. But fair market pricing works against such efforts, as indicated by the large

2. Don’t Try to Outguess the MarketMany fund managers believe they can identify “mispriced” securities and convert that knowledge into higher returns. But fair market pricing works against such efforts, as indicated by the

Why are more and more financial advisors fee-based? It comes down to philosophy. Advisors are increasingly choosing a business model that promotes a trusted, ongoing relationship with a client, rather than just a sale.

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